BBC's Strictly Come Dancing has a new favourite after couple nearly bring judge to tears

BBC's Strictly Come Dancing has a surprising new favourite to win after the couple’s first dance. Bookmakers reckon Scouse comedian Chris McCausland could be crowned this year's winner and take home the Glitterball trophy following his cha cha cha performance.

The 47-year-old teamed up with Dianne Buswell to deliver the dance to The Beatles’ Twist and Shout. It was the first time the panel - made up of Anton Du Beke, Craig Revel Horwood, Shirley, Ballas and Motsi Mabuse - and viewers got to see the celebrities on the dancefloor with their respective partners.

After nearly bringing Shirley to tears, Chris’ performance shook up the betting markets. Before the weekend, Chris, Strictly’s first-ever blind contestant, was only ranked 9th favourite out of the 15 contestants to win the series, with odds of 16 to 1 - which meant he was given just a 6% chance of winning.

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He was placed way behind the pre-show favourites JLS singer JB Gill and Love Island star Tasha Ghouri. But his odds have now been drastically cut.

Chris is now quoted at odds of 7/2 - equivalent to a 22% chance of winning - making him one of the most likely winners, according to odds from a range of UK bookmakers compiled by Oddschecker. Some outlets even have Chris just out in front as the new favourite.

JLS singer JB Gill and his professional partner Amy Dowden justified their pre-show billing by topping the judges’ leaderboard on Saturday night with 31 points as Amy returned to the dancefloor after completing treatment for cancer.

There were also impressive performances from Love Island star Tasha Ghouri and her partner Aljaž Škorjanec, who scored 30 points and were joint second on the opening night leaderboard.

But they may have been upstaged by Chris who caused a frenzy with fans and had Shirley Ballas emotional. She said: “When I saw the street lights at the beginning, I really didn’t know what to expect. You had lifts – just to take her between your legs, you have to time that, it’s hard enough as it is! You had great skills when it came to listening to your partner.”

Chris was given a score of 23 by the judges. There was no audience vote this weekend with the first elimination taking place next Sunday. The show will span 14 weeks, with one celebrity being shown the door each week, leading up to a live final on December 14.